Katie Farmer named president and CEO of BNSF
BNSF today announced that Executive Vice President Operations, Kathryn M. Farmer, will become President and Chief Executive Officer on Jan. 1, 2021. She will continue her role on and assume leadership of
Open covered bridge that once served the railroad succumbs to fire in Wash.
The fires out west are doing nothing to preserve history. They are destroying everything in their path, including the Manning-Rye Covered Bridge in Whitman County, Wash. The bridge crosses the Palouse River
Watch: Eglinton Crosstown project test drive
Track installation along the Eglinton Crosstown light-rail project in Toronto has reached the 66 percent completion mark, while overhead catenary system poles are 95 percent complete. In early September, crews test drove
R&LHS scholarships benefit aspiring young railroaders
Three aspiring young railroaders are among the recipients of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society’s inaugural scholarships, which are named in honor of the R&LHS members who generously made these scholarships possible.
Is a light-rail line back on for Sacramento?
An absent voter wants to be counted. In late August, the Sacramento Regional Transit board rejected a proposal for a rail line over the Tower Bridge. Citrus Heights representative Steve Miller, however,
Tropical storm Sally expected to become hurricane today—NS issues service alert – Updated at 4:45 pm EDT
Just over two weeks after Hurricane Laura hit, the Gulf Coast is bracing for another storm that is expected to become a hurricane today (likely Category 2), and is expected to make
Bells & Whistles—Purple Line project could hit a wall
Report shows Washington, D.C., Metrorail lack strong safety culture. Fire destroys nearly 100-year-old railroad bridge. NTSB preliminary report of Union Pacific derailment in Arizona contain more details about accident. Judge says Purple
Metro board member calls for shutdown of system to allow time to fix problems
Earlier this week, RT&S reported the results of an audit of Washington, D.C.’s Metro transit system conducted by the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. The key message of the report was that Metro,
Balfour Beatty welcomes start of full construction on HS2
Balfour Beatty, alongside HS2 Ltd, [earlier this month] celebrated the formal start of construction on Europe’s largest infrastructure project – HS2, the state-of-the-art, high-speed line critical for the UK’s low carbon transport
NTSB preliminary report of Union Pacific derailment in Arizona contains more details about accident
The following is NTSB’s preliminary report on the Union Pacific derailment that partially collapsed a bridge in Tempe, Ariz. On July 29, 2020, at 6:07 a.m. local time, in Tempe, Ariz., westbound
Judge says Purple Line concessionaire is free to leave
A Maryland judge has sent the Purple Line Transit Partners packing, saying the concessionaire can leave the Purple Line project due to nearly $800 million in cost overruns because of delays. The
RT&S 2020 Engineer of the Year Ed Boyle: Running with the bull
Ed Boyle is a calculated bull in a china shop … with riders on his back. Norfolk Southern’s vice president of engineering sees a target and he charges full speed. He is
Look before you cut: Amtrak deploys GPR for ballast maintenance
Editor’s Note: This story appeared in the August issue of RT&S. The authors are Amanda Kessler, P.E., and Evan Whatley, EIT. Each fiscal year, Amtrak spends approximately $20-55 million undercutting between 25
CHSRA—Avenue 10 overpass opens in Madera County
On Tuesday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) announced the opening of the Avenue 10 overpass in Madera County – the second high-speed rail grade separation to open in the last month.
Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link has huge girders, reaches milestone
Sound Transit construction manager Ginger Ferguson provided an update of the Lynnwood Link on Sept. 9. Ferguson spoke to reporters at the construction site for the 130th Street station in Seattle. Crews
Carloads and intermodal up last week—Labor Day 2019 a factor in increases
Ed. Note: The Association of American Railroads traffic numbers for the week ending September 5, 2020, look pretty good at first glance. However, the Labor Day holiday in 2019 was on Sept.
Union Pacific employs “water train” to battle western wildfires
The western wildfires are wreaking havoc on the West Coast and several inland locations. People have lost their homes, been evacuated, and are dealing with a heavy smoke cloud that aggravates any
September issue of RT&S now online
The September issue of RT&S features a spotlight story on the 2020 RT&S Engineer of the Year, Ed Boyle, as well as our 2020 Product Innovation Showcase and an overview of safety
Both sides of Purple Line conflict present case to judge
The dispute between the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and the investment group of the Purple Line continues to be heard in court. Lawyers on both sides made presentations during an all-day virtual
Another fire destroys nearly 100-year-old railroad bridge
Labor Day weekend fires were working their way through territory in the western U.S., and one of them engulfed a Yakima River railroad bridge in the state of Washington. The wooden trestle